Rural Scholars Application 2027

Rural Scholars Application
The Rural Scholars Program supports outstanding first-year students from Georgia’s rural communities who are pursuing a degree in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Each year, 3–4 high school seniors enrolling at UGA are selected to join the cohort. Scholars receive a $7,000 annual scholarship, renewable for up to four years, and must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.

The program seeks students who excel academically, demonstrate leadership, and are committed to community service. Through a cohort model, dedicated staff support, and co-curricular programming, Rural Scholars gain an enriched college experience. Opportunities include professional development, workshops, and experiential learning activities, many supported by grants, that extend learning beyond the classroom.

Applicants must also complete a UGA admission application.

The Rural Scholars Program application deadline is 5:00 PM ET on Friday, November 13th.
Select your home county

Application Information

Carefully review the information below before proceeding.
As part of your application, you are required to upload your resume, one letter of recommendation and respond to the essay prompt below.

Essay Prompt: Please submit a 2,000-word essay addressing the ways in which rural communities have contributed to your personal growth.

Submissions in Microsoft Word or PDF format are preferred, though other formats will be accepted. Files must be saved and uploaded using the following naming convention: Lastname_Firstname_Essay.

Letter of Recommendation Please upload at least one and no more than three letters of recommendation from a high school teacher, guidance counselor and/or club advisor or community service activity supervisor. Recommendations from employers, family, or friends will not be accepted.

Personal Information

Rural Scholars Application
Full Name:

First NameLast Name
Phone No.:

Area CodePhone Number
E-mail :
Where the confirmation will be send to
Home Address :

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry

UGA Admission Information

Rural Scholars Application
Have you submitted your application for admission to UGA?
Have you been accepted for admissions to UGA?
When do you anticipate starting at UGA?
Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must be high school seniors planning to enroll at UGA in the upcoming academic year. To be considered, students must also submit a UGA admissions application and ultimately gain acceptance to the university. Eligible students must declare a CAES major and reside in a rural or predominantly rural Georgia county, as defined by the U.S. Census American Community Survey.

By selecting “I agree,” you confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements for this scholarship and understand that you must apply to UGA, be accepted, and declare a major in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

High School Information

Rural Scholars Application
Current High School Attending
High School GPA:
Enter your SAT verbal score (optional)
Enter your SAT math score (optional)
Enter your ACT score (optional)
Intended major(s)
Any awards or honors that you have received in the past, one per line. Make sure to include the award's name, description, and date the award was received. You may enter up to 15. If you have more than 15 awards, only report the 15 most significant ones.
List your club / organization involvement. You may list up to 15. If you have more than 15, enter the 15 most impactful ones.
Club or Organization name, description of the organization, year you started, year you ended, and list all offices / position held, each separated by a comma
Add any community service activities you have been involved in, one per line. Give enough detail that readers can evaluate the scope and impact of the service. Make sure to also list the years you were involved. You can list up to 15 service activities. If you have been involved in more than 15, only list the 15 most impactful ones.
Name of activity, description of the activity, number of years involved with this
List any scholarships you have received, one per line. Give enough detail so that readers can evaluate the scope of the scholarship. Make sure to also list the amount received and the year(s) you received the funding. You can list up to 5 scholarships. If you have received more than 5, only list the 5 most prestigious ones
Name of scholarship, description, $ Amount received, Year(s) award was received.
Add all past and current employers, one per line. You may list up to 5 employers. If you have more than 5 work experiences, list only the 5 most significant ones.
Company / employer Name, position descriptions, average hours per week employed, date started, and date ended

Required Information

Rural Scholars Application
Resume

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Please upload a copy of your current resume. Microsoft Word or PDF formats are preferred, but not required. Cancelof
Essay

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Please upload a 2,000 word essay describing how rural communities have contributed to your personal growth. Microsoft Word or PDF formats are preferred, but not required. Make sure to name your upload file as Lastname_Firstname_Essay. Cancelof
Lettters of Recommendation

Please upload at least one and no more than three letters of recommendation from a high school teacher, guidance counselor and/or club advisor or community service activity supervisor. Recommendations from employers, family, or friends will not be accepted.
Letter of Recommendation #1

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Letter of Recommendation #2

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Letter of Recommendation #3

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Certification Statement

Rural Scholars Application
Applicants must be high school seniors who will enroll at UGA the following academic year. Applicants must also submit an application to UGA to be eligible for this scholarship. Successful candidates must ultimately be accepted to UGA. Applicants must select a CAES major. Applicants must be from a rural or mostly rural county in the state of Georgia as defined by the US Census American Community Survey.
Should be Empty:

Rural Scholars Application

Application Information

Personal Information

UGA Admission Information

High School Information

Required Information

Certification Statement